Hood catch



R. G. MOORE HOOD CATCH July 3, 1934.

Filed Feb. 10

INVENTOR. P9 man p 6. "700m:

BY W paw/7% A TTORNEY.

Patented July 3, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICZE HOOD CATCH Raymond G. Moore, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to The Bassick Company, Bridgeport, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application February 10, 1932, Serial No. 591,952

12 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in hood catches, particularly of the type having catch means interiorly and at each end of the hood, and which are adapted to be operated by a 5 single exteriorly arranged operating handle disposed substantially centrally of the hood. In one type of catch, heretofore in use, a torsional rock shaft was provided extending substantially the length of the hood, and had a series of crank means for rotating the shaft and for engaging keeper brackets. This type of catch depended on the spring tension produced by torsional twisting of the shaft, and because of its length and the constant twisting to which it was submitted was subject to mal-adjustment, rapid deterioration, vibration, and other objectionable conditions, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a catch in which the torsional rock shaft is dispensed with, and which will be of simple and economical construction, and efficient and reliable in operation.

It is particularly proposed, in the exemplary illustrated embodiment of the present invention, to provide a shiftable catch bar having spring ends for direct yielding engagement with keeper means at each end of the hood, the bar being guided in its movement into and out of engagement with the keeper means by guide brackets arranged to guide the bar in an angular path relative to the hood, operating handle means which may be placed at any desired point vertically of the hood, and movement translating means between the handle means and catch means which may be conveniently formed of any suitable length depending on the point at which it is desired to locate the operating handle.

Another object is to provide a hood catch which will adapt itself to variations in the longitudinal and vertical dimensions of the hood, without ma- 4 terial change in the catch structure. A further object is to provide a hood catch which will insure positive and proper engagement of the catch means at each end of the hood, irrespective of variations and irregularities that may occur in the disposition of the hood and the arrangement of the keeper means. A still further object is to provide a hood catch which will effectually hold the hood downwardly and inwardly.

With the above and other objects in view, an 50. embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto and the invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view through the hood and frame and showing the catch in plan, the same being in its operative position, intermediate portions of the hood and catch being broken away.

Fig. 2 is an interior elevation showing the operative position of the catch, and indicating the inoperative position by dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken along the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the automobile hood 10 is adapted to close in the usual manner against the lacings 11 and 12 of the radiator frame 13 and cowl portion 14 of the chassis.

Upon the inner face of the hood, and preferably at a central point between the hood ends and near the upper edge of the hood side, there is riveted or otherwise suitably secured a bracket plate 15 having a pressed up circular bearing boss 16 provided with a central aperture 17 in alignment with an aperture 18 in the hood. A shouldered cylindrical bearing bushing 19 is secured within the aperture 1'? as by swaging over, as at 20, and projects into the aperture 18 in the hood, so that it is slightly outside of the hood surface to form a suitable bearing for the rotatable operating handle presently to be described. The boss is preferably dished, as at 21, in surrounding relation to the aperture 17.

The handle 22 is provided with a reduced diameter shank 23 which is journaled in the bushing 19, and at its inner end is provided with a threaded hole 24 and wedge-shaped lugs 2525 at each side thereof, upon which a crank arm 26 is engaged, the crank arm being provided for this purpose with a beveled edge rectangular opening 27, which engages the lugs with a tight wedge fit. A headed screw 28 is screwed into the threaded hole 24 and secures the crank arm in tight nonrotatable relation to the handle shaft 23, and at the same time retains the handle in its hearing. A stop lug 26 struck up from the boss 16, is adapted to abut the crank arm to yieldably retain it in the operative position, this position being slightly over the high point of movement as indicated in Fig. 2.

The crank arm 26 has an aperture 29 in its offset outer end in which the upper angularly bent end 30 of a connecting rod 31 is pivotally engaged and secured by a cotter pin 32. The lower angularly bent end 33 of this connecting rod 'is pivotally engaged in an aperture 34 provided centrally of a catch bar 35 and is secured by a cotter pin 36. The catch bar is longitudinally disposed near the lower edge of the hood and at its respective ends is provided with spring rod extensions 37 and 38, these rods being conveniently secured to the slide member by providing enlarged ball-like heads 39 and 40 upon their inner ends, the inner end portions of the rods being disposed in longitudinal cylindrical sockets 41 and 42 formed in the bar and the ballends 39 and 40 being disposed in bulged-out enlargements 43 and 44 at the inner ends of said sockets. The catch bar may be conveniently formed of sheet metal folded upon itself along its lower edge, so that the rod ends may thus be enfolded and assembled in the sockets during the formation of the bar.

The catch bar is guided in its movement between its operative and inoperative positions, and for this purpose the spring rod extensions 37 and 38 are engaged in slotted brackets 45 and 46 secured to the hood at each end of the bar, the slots 47 and 48 of the respective brackets being narrower than the bar, so that the brackets form abutments to present longitudinal displacement of the bar. The lower portions of the slots are angularly disposed, extending upwardly and inwardly from the hood surface and are curved into an upper vertically disposed portion in which the spring rods are engaged in the operative portion.

The crank arms are adapted to engage angular keeper brackets 49 and 50 suitably mounted on the radiator frame and cowl, or upon any other convenient part of the chassis in proximityto the hood ends. These brackets are illustrated as formed of sheet metal, and their engaging faces, which are preferably disposed at an angle of 45 are respectively provided with pressed out rounded ribs 51 and 52 for engagement by the rounded crank ends, this arrangement providing positive and firm engagement of the spring rods 3'7 and 38, irrespective of variations in the mounting and disposition of the parts.

The operation is as follows:

As shown by dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3 the hood catch is in its inoperative or released position, the spring rods 37 and 38 being untensioned and disposed at the lower ends of the slots 47 and 48 so that they clear the keeper brackets 49 and 50 as the hood is closed against the lacings, or raised and lowered in a vertical direction. As the handle 22 is turned to the operative position shown in full lines the bar 35 is drawn upwardly in the slots 47 and 48 the spring rods being first brought under and into engagement with the keeper brackets at which point they are in the vertical portions of the slots, whereupon they are sprung under tension as the movement of the handle is completed, and in which position the crank arm 26 is carried slightly over its high position and abuts the stop lug 26 where it is yieldably retained under the tension of the spring rods 37 and 38.

I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of my invention, but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein, within the spirit and scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s:

1. A hood catch assembly, for engaging keeper means, comprising yieldable catch means bendable lengthwise between its ends having up and down movement and adapted to be directly ena d. wi s id ke p ns and. manually operable actuating means for imparting movement to said catch means, whereby said catch means is moved into and out of operative relation with said keeper means, said catch means adapted to be longitudinally sprung under tension in the engaged relation with said keeper means.

2. A hood catch assembly, for engaging keeper means, comprising a slide member having up and down movement, yieldable catch means carried by said slide member bendable lengthwise between its ends, and manually operable actuating means for imparting movement to said slide member, whereby said catch means is moved into and out of operative relation with said keeper means, said catch means adapted to be sprung under tension in the engaged relation with said keeper means.

3. A hood catch assembly, for engaging keeper means, comprising a non-rotatable slide member having up and down movement away from and toward the hood surface, catch means operatively connected to said slide member and adapted to be engaged with said keeper means, and manually operable actuating means for imparting movement to said slide member, whereby said catch means is moved into and out of operative relation with said keeper means, said catch means being out of the path of said keeper means in the down position of said slide member to clear said keeper means upon vertical movement of the hood.

4. A hood catch assembly, for engaging keeper means, comprising a non-rotatable slide member, guide means carried by the hood for guiding said slide member in an up and down direction away from and toward the hood surface, catch means operatively connected to said slide member and adapted to be engaged with said keeper means, and manually operable actuating means for imparting movement to said slide member, whereby said catch means is moved into and out of operative relation with said keeper means, said catch means adapted to be sprung under tension in the engaged relation with said keeper means, and being out of the path of said keeper means in the disengaged relation to clear said keeper means upon vertical movement of the hood.

5. A hood catch assembly, for engaging keeper means, comprising a rigid slide member having up and down movement, bendable resilient catch means carried by said slide member, and manually operable crank means for imparting movement-to said slide member, whereby said catch means is moved into and out of operative relation with said keeper means, said catch means adapted to be sprung under tension in the engaged relation with said keeper means.

6. A hood catch assembly, for engaging keeper means, comprising, a rigid slide member having up and down movement, bendable resilient catch means carried by said slide member, manually operable crank means, a link pivotally connected between said crank means and said slide member for imparting up and down movement to said slide member and whereby said catch means is moved into and out of operative relation with said keeper means, said catch means adapted to be sprung under tension in the engaged relation with said keeper means.

7. A hood catch assembly, for engaging keeper means, comprising a slide member having up and down movement, a tension rod bendable lengthwise between its ends rigidly supported at one end by saidslide member and adapted to be engaged at its other end with said keeper means, and manually operable actuating means for impartmg movement to said slide member, whereby said tension rod is moved into and out of operative relation with said keeper means, said tension rod adapted to be sprung under tension in the engaged relation with said keeper means.

8. A hood catch assembly, for engaging keeper means, comprising a slide member having up and down movement, a tension rod bendable lengthwise between its ends rigidly supported at one end by said slide member and adapted to be engaged at its other end with said keeper means, manually operable actuating means vertically offset upon the hood from said slide member, and movement translating means connected between said actuating means and said slide member whereby said tension rod is moved into and out of operative relation with said keeper means, said tension rod adapted to be sprung under tension in the engaged relation with said keeper means.

9. A hood catch assembly, for engaging keeper means, comprising yieldable catch means bendable lengthwise between its ends having up and down movement and adapted to be directly engaged with said keeper means, manually operable actuating means for imparting movement to said catch means whereby said catch means is moved into and out of operative relation with said keeper means, said catch means adapted to be longitudinally sprung under tension in the engaged relation with said keeper means, and means for yieldably retaining said catch means in its operative relation.

10. A hood catch assembly for engaging a plurality of spaced keeper means, comprising a longitudinally extending non-rotatable slide member having up and down movement, tension rods bendable lengthwise between their ends rigidly supported at one end by said slide member, their other ends adapted to engage said respective keeper means, and manually operable actuating means for imparting movement to said slide member whereby said plurality of tension rods are moved into and out of operative relation with said plurality of keeper means, said tension rods adapted to be sprung under tension in the engaged relation with said keeper means.

11. A hood catch assembly, for engaging a plurality of spaced keeper means, comprising a longitudinally extending non-rotatable springy catch member including keeper engaging portions at each end, guide means carried by the hood adapted to guide said catch member upwardly and downwardly and away from and toward the hood, and manually operable actuating means for imparting movement to said catch member whereby said keeper engaging portions are moved into and out of operative relation with said keeper means, said portions adapted to be sprung under tension in the engaged relation with said keeper means.

12. A hood catch assembly, for engaging a plurality of spaced keeper means, comprising a longitudinally extending non-rotatable catch member having up and down movement and including resilient keeper engaging portions bendable upwardly and downwardly at each end, manually operable crank means vertically offset upon the hood from said catch member, and movement translating means connected between said crank means and said catch member whereby said keeper engaging ends are moved into and out of operative relation with said plurality of keeper means.

RAYMOND G. MOORE. 

